Jason's Untimely Thoughts

New Year’s greetings to one and all and you and yours. With any luck at all, this will be my only update on us in 2007, until you receive a surprisingly cute and witty Christmas card from us late in the year. Or maybe it’s a cute and surprisingly witty Christmas card. Or maybe it’s just cute. Whatever.

Sarah had another CT scan about a week ago. The spots continue to shrink! While continuing this course of treatment, we also continue to investigate other options for down the road. We will continue the route of having CT scans every 3-6 months to track things and reevaluate as new opportunities present themselves. We’ve also forwarded the updated information to the physicians we saw previously in Baltimore and New Orleans to see if their earlier recommendations are affected. Good news.

In new news, Sarah had a mammogram last week which raised a few questions. We met with a surgeon here in town last week, with the possibility raised of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), and a biopsy was scheduled for yesterday. Sarah just heard from the radiologist a few minutes ago, and the biopsy was negative. In this case, Sarah is seeing doctors at Boone Hospital Center and they are likely going to recommend a further biopsy just to be safe given the medical history. They are being extra careful, for which we’re grateful. The doc did indicate, however, that he would be surprised if the further biopsy contradicted the first results. More good news.

(I started to explain what DCIS was, but google that term if you like. Lots of answers there. Google is Scandinavian for good news.)

Since I’m sending no more updates this year, here’s what you’ll be missing:

• We’re going to Oklahoma City in March for the Big 12 basketball tournaments. We hear OKC is nice. We’re doubtful.
• “OKC” makes me think of something that ‘gangsta’ suburbanites from Overland Park would call themselves.
• At that tournament, the basketball Tigers will continue their late-season run into the NCAA tournament.
• The Tigers will start that late-season run into the NCAA tournament any day now.
• Also at that tournament, I will become physically ill at the sight of Sooner Red, OSU Orange, UT Orange, and the mythical shoe-wearing birds all interspersed around me.
• Jack Thayer turns 2 in June and Adelaide turns 5 in September.
• Sarah & Jason also continue to age, but have stopped bragging about it.
• The football Tigers will reach the elusive 14-0 mark in 2007. I hope to make at least 10 of those games.
• I’ll fail in my efforts to provide no more updates, likely caused at least in part by my wanting to gloat over a MU victory. Now that’s good news.

That is all.

Sarah & I had the good fortune of going to El Paso with the athletic department for Mizzou’s appearance in the Sun Bowl against Oregon State University. On Saturday, we also watched the Tigers’ basketball game against Iowa State.

Both games we had big leads in the last few minutes. Both games we lost on last second ‘shots’. Both times, too many Mizzou fans telling me afterwards that “We’re cursed.” or “Only to Mizzou.”

Only thing consistent (or true) about the sentiment is that too many Mizzou fans think that way. Neither game was the result of a curse. Failure to make plays in both games was a huge problem as were a few referees’ decisions.

For whatever reason, Mizzou fans seem to take much more delight in remembering the bad (I had listed the games here, but realized that was adding to the problem). We’ve beaten KU in basketball when all they had to do was make one of two free throws at the end of the period to win (and beat Illinois similarly a few years ago). We beat SIU in the NCAA tournament recently on a very questionable call at the end in our favor. Dang near every thing we tried offensively against Oregon State worked. We beat Nebraska with a bevy of trick plays in 2003. We beat South Carolina in the Independence Bowl despite being down by seemingly 50 points in the first quarter.

I remember feeling kicked in the gut after the unlucky or tragic losses. I’m not saying they don’t suck. What I am saying, is that it sometimes just comes down to luck. Or making a play. Or the crowd being loud and influencing the action (see Moody free throws) or the referees. I just simply and firmly believe that if MU fans were quicker to look for ways to help their team, instead of looking for ways to point out how we’re going to lose or how this loss is similar to other losses, we could actually help those competing. When it comes down to one play, or one call, or both, the fans’ help might be enough to make the difference.

… from the Beckings. Jack, Adelaide, Sarah, and Jason have each had a fun-filled year, details of which we’ll now bore you with.

The little lad Jack Thayer recently weighed in at 34 pounds, which happened to equate to a pound per inch tall. He had his first birthday party in June and was seemingly unimpressed. He’s getting around anywhere he wants to go at this point, enjoys throwing pens and remote controls at Jason’s nose, and finds particular amusement in throwing the vast collection of balls we keep in Kitchen #1 down the basement stairs. “Uh oh”, “oh no”, “down”, and “bye” are each likely responses when a ball disappears. He’s not really much of a talker yet, but that’s mostly due to lack of opportunity.

Which leads us directly to older sis Adelaide. AEB turned 4 years old in September. She loves movies and pretending and dancing and telling stores, some of which are based upon facts. She’s become a busy chick, with dance recitals, soccer camp, dance camp, swimming camp, dancing in Living Windows in downtown Columbia, etc., sprinkled throughout the year. Her schedule has hit a reprieve, though, as she’s decided against going to any more Tiger men’s basketball games. She doesn’t get to go to the locker room with the Golden Girls at those, which is honestly enough reason for almost anyone to quit going to the men’s basketball games.

Sarah has seen her schedule pick up quite a bit, as is always the case in the fall. MU pictures, family photos, kids photos, and other randomness keep her as busy as she wants to be in the photography realm. She’s fortunate to have a compadre here in town that shares resources with her, benefiting both of them we think. Her photography and search for health information (with help from grandparents) have allowed us to see great friends in Tyler & Waco, Texas, New Orleans, DC, Columbus, Portland, and more. We’re also blessed to see so many friends and family come through Columbia, particularly around football season. (And she’s feeling well, thank you.)

Jason is still working at Miller’s Professional Imaging, which he enjoys very much. He enjoys it even more when everyone he knows uses Mpix.com instead of Shutterfly, Walgreens, and the like. We have a 34 pound baby to feed, you know. Beyond work, Jason still enjoys all things sports, particularly Mizzou, and chasing the kids around. Although chasing the kids around sort of applies to work as well. Sadly, he lost his gall bladder this year, an event from which he’s still recovering his humor (old joke, but everything gets funnier with repetition).

In all seriousness, we know life is busy and crazy for everyone and we appreciate everyone’s efforts on our behalves this year. We’ve been smacked in the head with reminders of how many great friends and family we have who are willing and available to look out for us however they can.

May your days be filled with family and friends and fun and funniness and may your favorite teams be victorious. Except for fans of the mythical shoe-wearing birds, you’ll just have to get by with family and friends and fun and funniness.

Tonight at 8 p.m., MU takes on Illinois in the annual “Busch Braggin’ Rights” game in St. Louis.

Between all sports, MU, Columbia College, random high school junk, I probably attend 100 sporting events a year. A big win, or a surprising upset, or something spectacular can pop up, but for predictable fantasticness, you can mark your calendar for this game every year.

The two teams are historically relatively good, relatively even, and relatively close together geographically. There’s normally a player or two on either team who played against the other guys in high school, or wanted to go to the other school but wasn’t recruited by them, or something. Add in the end of the semester, the ‘start’ of Christmas vacation for a lot of people, and you get the perfect combination of rivalry and revelry.

The crowd is almost always evenly split between MU and ILL fans, meaning half the joint is always happy and the other half is always feeling cheated. Both halves are nervous, based on the crazy history of comebacks and letdowns in this game.

All in all, good times. Starts tonight at 8 on ESPN. I’ll be sitting mid-court, about 10 rows up. I rock, but not as much as this game.

On a side note, screw ku.

Freaking people and their Christmas card pictures.

Sarah takes lots and lots of friends and family’s pictures for their Christmas cards. She pretty much only does it for friends and family, because otherwise, it’s too much of a pain in the painful area. Even for friends and family, barely worth it.

Almost once a day this time of the year, someone says “I can’t spend that much money on Christmas cards. Can I just take it XYZ, because their 4×6 prints are only 1 cent?” Inevitably, later then a follow-up call of some sorts because the prints from XYZ look like crap and “what should I do now”. There’s a reason they’re only charging 1 cent, or whatever the hell. The reason is they don’t care anything about making photographs, are hoping that 1 cent prints will get you in the door to buy some of the other junk they sell, and their prints are almost certainly going to look like crap.

If it’s worth your time to ask Sarah to take your pictures, meaning she breaks out about $3,000 worth of camera equipment, finds someone to watch Jack & Adelaide, goes to your house, or even worse, the studio space she’s borrowing from a friend thereby keeping him from making money, spends 2 hours of her time dealing with the pictures, then maybe another hour or so designing your family’s Christmas Card, then have the stomach for the price of a decent print.

If she’s kind enough to give you the file, take it someplace where those 100 prints are going to cost you $20-30 instead of $10-15, preferably www.mpix.com, but a GOOD local lab would also satisfy us. We recommend 50 Minute Photo to anyone that asks. If she doesn’t give you the file, remember she’s trying to pay for the $3,000 of camera equipment, the baby-sitter, and the studio space, and then figure out if you think she’s making any money on you.

If you absolutely don’t care what the prints look like, break out your point & shoot camera and spend 1 cent each on the prints at whatever convenience store is closest to you, and save Sarah the effort and time of trying to make you look good.

And by all means, if you’re someone we happen to do business with, consider if maybe we think you’re overpriced too, but continue to use your overpriced service because we see the value in supporting local businesses and friends. Especially before you tell us how expensive those freaking prints are.

Not directed at any one person, as it’s just unbelievably too common to simply apply to only one person.

On a side note, screw ku.

Nothing really to say, except that there’s really nothing to say.

Adelaide and a friend performed in “Living Windows” in downtown Columbia on Friday night. She then had her dance recital on Saturday night. Did wonderfully in both, pictures up on the site relatively soon.

Attic is being finished at our house. Turns out you make much quicker progress if you just pay someone to do it for you. Downside of that is having to actually pay them. HVAC, electrical, and drywall are done. Just waiting on windows and paint at this point.

Sarah has been busy taking pictures for lots of folks. Lots of folks. Jason’s work is incredibly busy so little time for pointless random humor.

Happy Holidays to you and yours, even if they’re beakers.

was the KU post below too Krameresque? probably so.

screw ku.

First off, as any Simpsons fan can tell you, “die Beakers die” is simply German for “The Beakers, The”. (and anyone who speaks German can’t be all bad).

The happiest time of the year is sadly coming to a close. With the loss at ISU, we’ve officially entered the “grumble grumble whiny whiny grumble grumble” stage of the season. (I’m talking about the fans, not the coaches). It is a postive, though, that it took to the final home game to get there. The Tigers play the mythical shoe-wearing birds on Saturday, at 11:00 a.m. It is senior day, so get inside early for those festivities. Nineteen guys will be playing their final game at Faurot Field and deserve an ovation. Due to the early start and senior day festivities, we’ll only be tailgating minimally this game. Will probably be there by 9:30 or so.

KU has a disgusting 3-game win streak against the Tigers, which will come to a close on Saturday… If we’re up 85-0 in the third quarter, leave the starters in and run up the score. A win over the shoebirds on Saturday and in the bowl game would still total 9 victories, which is more than any season in my lifetime. (At this point, most fans go back to grumble grumble whiny whiny grumble grumble stage.)

The Central Missouri Food Bank has been running their massive food drive this week. (Insert Mangino joke here.) In all my years of making fun, I’ve still yet to hear one reason (much less a good reason) on why that damn bird needs to wear shoes. Coach Mangino was lost in KC the other day, so stopped at a gas station for directions. “How do I get to 435?” he asked. “Start eating salad”, was the response.

you can’t spell “sucks” without ku. Stomp the shoebirds.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

For more vitrol, you can keep reading… no humor from this point forward (unless you find my anger funny. grumble grumble grumble.)

Their coach is fat and their mascot is a woody woodpecker ripoff, but the topic that’s eating at me currently is my renewed awareness of their hypocrisy. Their silly insistence on bringing up cheating and low class fandom is easily enough brushed away by their own worse actions. They are currently on probation in both football and basketball for “major infractions” including academic fraud and lack of institutional control and remain the only team in history unable to defend an NCAA title due to cheating. As for low class, just count how many “Muck Fizzou” shirts you see at the game on Saturday, much less any other of their games, or talk to anyone who went to either of the past two MU-KU games in Larry.

Still not there, though, I’m heading toward the idiocy of their mascot name. The same atheltic department who thought “Border War” was too inciteful is seemingly proud to recognize (and presumably honor) a band of the most vile vagabonds of the time. From the beaker website: “The word “Jayhawk” first was used in present day Kansas about 1858. It was associated with robbing, looting and general lawlessness.” Specifically, it was associated with burning down Missouri homes, stealing supplies and horses, and murdering Missourians who happened to live in the wrong counties. General Henry Halleck, Commander of the Department of the West, wrote of the Jayhawkers: “They are no better than a band of robbers; they cross the line, rob, steal, plunder, and burn whatever they can lay their hands upon. They disgrace the name and uniform of American soldiers. The course pursued by those under Lane and Jennison, has turned against us many thousands who were formerly Union men.” They also typically break out the red socks for the MU game, most times the only time they wear red socks all year, I assume to further honor the scum who were known for the red-leggings on their uniforms. It’s equivalent to an institution going by the name “lynch mob” and having a uniform resembling a sheet.

It’s disguting, dishonorable, and despicable. That said, I assume most KU fans don’t really know all that. They just buy the “free state” propaganda they’re fed from time to time. If they knew it, surely they’d surely be honorable enough to disassociate from the name.

19 Tigers will be playing their final games at Faurot Field on Saturday. If you have the chance and don’t come honor their efforts, you’re a beaker. Unless of course, you really are a beaker in which case I don’t know how to insult you further.

From MUTigers.com press release:

Nineteen Tiger seniors will suit up one last time at MU’s Faurot Field Saturday when they don the Black and Gold for the 2006 home finale vs. Kansas. This class has been a part of some great moments in Tiger football history. They have helped MU to 27 wins over the course of the 2003 season through now. This class (Head Coach Gary Pinkel’s second after taking over at Mizzou prior to the 2001 season) is the first since the 1983 senior class to play in three bowl games (MU appeared in three bowl games in a four-year span from 1980-83). Many of them played key roles in helping Mizzou to an 8-5 record in 2003 and to a 7-5 campaign in 2005 and MU’s first bowl win since 1998. Three Tigers listed as juniors eligibility-wise (Josh Barbo, David Lazaroff and Trace Teas) are being recognized as seniors this year, as all three are seniors academically, and have chosen not to use their final year of eligibility in 2007. Here’s a quick look at the senior class of 2006: